When Love Becomes A Wrong
by Dream of Autumn
Summary: After the death of her mother, Sakura is forced to deal with living with her mother’s new husband: Li Syaoran, her stepfather. The man who destroyed her life. The man who was hopelessly in love with her.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its characters.

* * *

**WHEN LOVE BECOMES A WRONG  
**_Dream of Autumn_

'_If loving you with all my heart's a crime…  
__Then I'm GUILTY…'_

**Chapter One**

Li Syaoran sat on the chair in Atty. Shirota Yuu's office, his head bowed down. The attorney had not arrived yet. He had no right to complain since he (the attorney) wasn't late at all. Syaoran was just early. The office clock read 2:55 and their meeting was set at 3:00. Never mind that he came at 2:20. Yup. Syaoran was _that_ early. Why? So that he won't make an even worse impression on _her_.

Yes. Her.

Who her?

_Her_. The girl who was sitting across him.

He looked up and had to gulp. The girl who sat across him was glaring at him spitefully. Her emerald green eyes were fiery with anger, rage, fury, ire, wrath, and all other words associated with those aforementioned. She hated him. No, she loathed him. She despised him. She detested him to the depths of her soul. And he knew this. He also knew that if given the chance and had the power, she would condemn him to damnation where he rightfully belongs, in her serious opinion, together with her mother.

Syaoran's heart was shattered into pieces knowing she would never reassess her thoughts of him. To her, he was the bad guy. The villain. The antagonist. The devil himself. And he couldn't blame her. So who was she?

She was Kinomoto Sakura. The love of his life. His stepdaughter.

"Ah! Miss Kinomoto, Mister Li! Forgive me for letting you wait. Miss Miyu told me you came in early," the graying-haired, brown-eyed gallant attorney apologized as he entered.

"It's okay, Atty. Shirota. Other than having myself in the company of a bastard, I had no problem," Sakura retorted quite calmly, venom evident in the tone of her voice, her glowering orbs not leaving Syaoran. Syaoran bowed his head down in hurt and shut his eyes to prevent the tears from spilling. Color rose to his face.

The middle-aged man, taken aback, looked at Sakura then Syaoran.

"Um," he muttered unsurely and cleared his throat. He pulled the collar of his dress shirt before settling on the chair between the two, the seat on the edge of the table.

"Okay. So let's begin. Shall we?"

Sakura remained silent. Syaoran turned to the lawyer and smiled nervously. "I guess." Then, he turned to Sakura.

"Sakura?"

"Don't call me that!" she hissed. Syaoran was slightly taken aback but nevertheless yielded.

Shirota sensed the tension between the two. But he knew better and ignored it, proceeding to the meeting's agenda.

"Alright then. Miss Kinomoto, Mister Li. Miss Amamiya revised her will, as you have known, on the day before her wedding. The day before her death." He glanced at both his clients. Provoking no reaction, he continued.

"And accordingly, Miss Amamiya left the Kinomoto Corporation entirely to you, Miss Kinomoto as you _are_ the legal heir, being the only child of her ex-husband and your father, Kinomoto Fujitaka." Sakura nodded.

"Furthermore, her other possessions, such as jewelries, clothes, bags—all of them—are yours. However, you must _not_ give it away. _Not_. And especially not to her cousin Daidouji Sonomi or her daughter, Daidouji Tomoyo." At the last statement, Sakura was about to raise an argument but stopped herself at the last second, knowing the attorney had no say on this matter.

"Mister Li is to be given the Cadillac DTS and the Mercedes SLK55. He will also keep the BMW R80 GTS motorcycle Miss Amamiya gifted him."

She clenched both her hands into a fist in order to stop herself from yelling. She was expecting something like this yet it didn't stop her rage from coming. She wanted him to receive absolutely nothing. Yet knowing her mother… Syaoran sensed her anger but remained silent. He knew better. Anything he would say would only worsen matters, which is the least he would want to happen at the moment.

"Miss Kinomoto shall be given the BMW X3 SUV, the Audi TT coupe, the Chevrolet Optra sedan, the Lexus GS430 and the Toyota Saturn limousine. The mansion…" He looked at the two again to check if they were still attentive. They were so he went on. "The mansion belongs to Miss Kinomoto." Sakura sighed a breath of relief, thinking the worst was over. But perhaps she had thought so soon.

"—but—" Oba continued.

Sakura's eyes flashed. _But?!_

"—though the mansion is a property of Miss Kinomoto, Mister Li—"

_Oh dear no_, Sakura thought.

"—is to live—"

_NO!_

"—in the mansion—"

_Fuck no!_

"—until he marries." The color in Sakura's face drained.

"Miss Amamiya also wanted that Mister Li be given a monthly allowance of ¥125,000." That hit a nerve—hard. Sakura's head snapped to Syaoran, who was giving her a contrite look.

Shirota blinked. "Miss Kinomoto? Are you okay?"

Sakura was tense, pale and panting. She cannot believe her mother would do this to her. Though there were a lot of good in Amamiya Nadeshiko's will, like giving her full control of the company her father had worked so hard to expand, and granting her ownership of the mansion, the bad outweighed the good in terms of gravity. Living with the devil will be hell on earth. And not rightfully inheriting what's hers could compensate that, in her opinion.

(A.N.: Though I know a lot of you would say otherwise. Living with Syaoran would be heaven on earth, wouldn't it? wink)

"Miss Kinomoto?" Sakura snapped back to reality and realized it was Syaoran who had called her. She ignored him and turned to the lawyer, who looked just as worried as Syaoran. "I'm fine," she assured them in a voice that's barely above a whisper.

Shirota continued. "Lastly, the residences Miss Amamiya owns in Tomoeda and Kyoto also will be given to Miss Kinomoto as well as the real estate properties that belonged to Mister Kinomoto, namely his mansions in Yokohama, Osaka, and Nagoya. Miss Amamiya's penthouse in Osaka will, however, go to Mister Li." Sakura has heard enough and stood.

"I guess that's all I wanted to hear. Unless there's more to it," she asked Shirota.

Shirota shook his head. "That's all to the will, Miss Kinomoto." Sakura nodded and turned to leave. "Miss Kinomoto!" Shirota called her.

Sakura turned and saw him holding something pink in his hand. "Yes, Atty. Shirota?"

Shirota extended his hand, motioning her to take whatever he was holding, which turned out to be an envelope. She did and inspected it. It was sealed.

"Your mother gave that along with the will. She asked me to give it to you," he gave her a smile. "I think she knew her time was up the next day. A premonition maybe or intuition, I don't know how she managed to figure that out but…" he trailed off.

Sakura furrowed her brows. "She knew?! _If_ she knew… and _if_ she were smart enough, she should've cancelled the wedding instead of bringing bad luck—" Syaoran winced. "—into the household," she barked not caring if she had hurt someone or not. She didn't care at all.

"Thank you for everything you've done, Atty. Shirota," she thanked the lawyer then gave Syaoran a hard glare before turning on her heels and left, leaving the two gents in awkward silence.

Syaoran stood. "Well… I guess I should be leaving, too. Thank you for the time, Atty. Shirota," he thanked the lawyer as well. Shirota nodded in acknowledgment and stood.

"It's but my duty, Mister Li." He extended his hand, which Syaoran took and shook. "If you allow me to speak, Mister Li, I am one who respects my clients' private lives. But I am only human who sometimes cannot help but judge other people." Syaoran nodded, though uncertain where Shirota was going. "That is why when Miss Amamiya decided to revise her will with a certain fiancé getting benefits, a certain fiancé who happens to be younger than her, not to mention a year older than her daughter, Miss Kinomoto, I disliked this man to a point. I thought he's this filthy gold-digger, social climber." Syaoran tensed.

"But after meeting you, Mister Li, I take my words or thoughts back. And I apologize."

Syaoran smiled. "Accepted."

Shirota grinned and patted him on the back. "Don't worry about Miss Kinomoto. She's just probably looking out for her mother, and most importantly, what's hers."

"I know."

"Just be good to her, Mister Li. She'll warm up to you in time. I've got to warn you, though. The girl's pretty much stubborn. Give her time. Life has been a bit hard on her."

Syaoran nodded.

* * *

"Good evening, Master Li," greeted the butler Akashi upon his arrival.

"Good evening to you, too, Akashi," he replied with a smile in hope of maintaining rapport with the servant. He had been staying at the mansion for more than a week now. Ten days to be precise. He had moved there two days prior to the wedding, upon Nadeshiko's request. He declined, though, to share a room with her, saying it'd be most proper to do so _after_ the wedding. This didn't help lessen Sakura's annoyance with him, unfortunately.

Needless to say, he was given a room of his own, right next to his then fiancée's room, far away from Sakura's, which was on the other wing. So far, the household was slowly warming up to him. And his relationship with them is way better than his relationship with Sakura. They realized he was not as bad as they had all pictured him out to be. He was quite polite and respectful. Even up to after the Mistress Nadeshiko's death.

He was about to go up to his room when…

"Li," someone called him. He looked up and his heart jumped to see Sakura, her beautiful face stony. "In my office. We need to talk." And she left.

"By her office, she meant Mistress Nadeshiko's former office, Sir," Akashi informed him.

He nodded. "Thanks Akashi." And followed Sakura.

Upon entering the pale orange room that once belonged to the deceased Nadeshiko, he found her daughter sitting behind the oak desk, leaning back on the high-backed cushioned chair, arms crossed in front of her chest, and the usual icy stare present in her emerald green pools. "Don't worry. This won't take long."

He stood in front of the desk. She didn't even bother offering him a seat. "As my mother willed, you will be living in _my_ house until probably you find another wealthy woman whose riches you'd want to inherit." Oftentimes, Sakura was one who would mince with words. But when you are facing the man you oh so love to hate, there is no room for beating around the bush. Syaoran hid the pain that her words were causing him and looked down.

"In the meantime, while we—rather, _I_, am stuck with _you_," she said the last word with contempt. "I think it would be the best for the both of us to _mind our own business_. Am I clear on that one, Li?"

"Yes, Miss Kinomoto," he said in a low voice.

Sakura smirked. "Good. You may go."

Syaoran looked at her in the eye in hopes of making her see how much she means to him. _The eyes are the windows to your soul_, his mother once said to him. He was a bit surprised, though he didn't show, to see a slight change in her expression. She looked at bit bewildered now from the look he was giving her.

"I-I said you may go!" she repeated. He gave up and broke the contact, simply turned and left the room. He went upstairs to his room and lay down on the bed. A tear rolled down his eye. _Sakura… I'm so sorry. I love you so much._ He turned around so he was lying down on his stomach, his face buried in the pillows, and cried. All emotions, all the pain that were building up in his chest, he let it all out. His whole being hurt. And it was all because of his intense love for a girl. A girl who would never be his.

He first encountered Sakura back in his junior year in college. They were in the same year but different courses. He was taking up engineering, while she business administration. They were from different colleges, naturally, and neither had known each other very well. He 'met' her through his friend and classmate, Hiiragizawa Eriol. They weren't acquaintances. But Eriol knew her since she happened to be his longtime crush, Daidouji Tomoyo's cousin.

It was one noon when they were having lunch under the trees that the Chinese lad caught sight of the beautiful blossom. In his eyes, she was the most heavenly creature he had set his eyes upon. She walked past them in hurry. Most probably to get to her class on time. Syaoran was only given a fleeting glance of the girl yet her face was immediately etched in his mind from that moment on. She filled his mind all the time and it drove him almost to insanity not to see her again. He longed to see the delicate face that haunted him in his dreams frequently and stare at it for a long time to memorize its every feature.

He saw her again two weeks later and the best thing was, it was up close. Eriol had asked him to accompany him in asking Tomoyo out after mustering the guts to do so. He reluctantly agreed, not knowing he'd thank Eriol later for asking him firsthand. His friend found the girl he was looking for sitting on the bench near the fountain.

"Syaoran!" he stopped him. "There she is!"

Syaoran looked up and saw Tomoyo. But it wasn't her who made his heart suddenly go frantic. Sitting beside his friend's object of affection was the girl he had sought out to see the past fortnight. Suddenly, he felt his feet frozen to the ground, unable to move.

"E-Eriol?" he called out to his companion nervously. But the azure-eyed boy was so bent on asking the other girl out, he failed to realize his friend was having a problem.

"Let's go Syaoran!" He dragged his dark-haired friend towards where the girls where.

Syaoran found it almost impossible to breath. He felt his chest suddenly tightened as they drew near. Then, there she was. In front of him. It was so surreal. Suddenly, all other things—the fountain, the benches, the trees, the other students, Tomoyo, and Eriol—disappeared and time stood still for Syaoran. And all he could see was her. She was everything he had remembered: glowing porcelain skin, radiant golden brown tresses, pink pouty lips. But what caught Syaoran in a daze was her eyes. They were of a unique shade of green that reminded him of precious emeralds, his favorite shade. Syaoran couldn't think of any other words to describe her but perfect.

"So I'll see you Saturday?" Eriol beamed. Tomoyo blushed and giggled. "Saturday."

"Okay… So… I'll see you around!" the blue-haired boy bid his ladylove goodbye, pulling his friend who was still in a world of his own. Syaoran almost tumbled.

He didn't want to leave just yet but when he looked over, saw the girl, along with a grinning Tomoyo, standing up with her things bundled in her arms, about to leave, he followed Eriol.

"I can't believe she said yes!" Eriol shrilled. Syaoran smiled at his happiness. "Good for you, man. And, um, by the way…" he cleared his throat. Eriol raised his brows to him.

"Yeah?"

Syaoran pulled at his collar as if it was suffocating him. Then, color rose to his face. "Do you, uh, happen to know the girl Tomoyo was with?" he asked shyly. Eriol looked at him amusingly and laughed.

"Syaoran, Syaoran!" He shook his head in amusement and paused for effect. "Yeah, I do."

"You do?!" he mused.

Eriol nodded. "But before I tell you, can you do me a favor?"

Syaoran's head immediately bobbed. "Anything!"

His friend grinned. "Good. Then you'll help me prepare for my big night this Saturday, okay?"

"Of course! I did say I'd do anything, didn't I?"

"Excellent."

Silence enveloped the two.

"So?"

Eriol looked at Syaoran wryly. "So what?"

"Who's she?"

"Tomoyo's cousin," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Really? What's her name?" he asked eagerly.

Eriol smirked. "I'll tell you after the date. I'll let you keep your end of the bargain first."

Syaoran halted in his steps and gawked. "Aw c'mon, Hiiragizawa! I keep my promises!" he cried out despairingly. His friend cackled as he continued to walk ahead of his amber-eyed friend. Then, he turned around and shouted, "Her name's Kinomoto Sakura." And walked off. Syaoran stood still, his heart increasing its pace as more blood rushed to his face and a very wide grin plastered itself on his face in response to elation. He didn't care if anybody heard their conversation. All he cared was he knew who she was. At last, the lovely face had a name.

"Kinomoto… Sakura…" he whispered to himself over and over again.

He thought had never heard a name that was as beautiful as hers. And he probably won't, he thought. A beautiful name to go with an exquisite face.

"Sakura…" he whispered again as he lay down on his bed at night. "My Sakura… I love you…" he said it out loud. Yes, he was in love with her. Though Eriol refuted it, saying one cannot fall in love with somebody for her looks alone, his words fell on deaf ears. Eriol gave up and left, leaving a lovesick Syaoran with his thoughts. And he fell asleep thinking of her.

A tear rolled down Syaoran's cheek as he thought about the past. How different it was from the present. In the past, he had to search the entire university to see Sakura. Now, he was living with her under one roof. Yet it held no difference at all: she was still as unreachable as the stars.

It had been one tiring day and Syaoran felt the emotional exhaustion overwhelm him. Like any other night that followed the day he first saw her, he fell asleep thinking of her.

**To Be Continued**

A.N.: Read and Review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its character.

**A.N.: **I understand that it's pretty confusing. The first chapter is. So I hope chapter two clears up some of those questions.

* * *

**Chapter Two  
**

The next days were uneventful. Usually, Syaoran would wake up when Sakura had already left for work. He didn't know if it was better or not since he wouldn't have to endure the ice cold shoulder treatment she was giving him but at the same time, it would mean he'd miss seeing her first thing in the morning. The period after breakfast would be a headache. There was almost nothing to do other than roam around the mansion. There was also no one to talk to, further adding to boredom. And there was no Sakura to adore.

Syaoran sighed. He missed her sorely. Suddenly, he felt like being transported back in time to junior college when he rarely sees Sakura. He wondered what she was doing at the moment. _Probably thinking of more ways to hate of me_, he thought with a smile. It amazed him that no matter how ill she treated him, even if she treated him like dirt, he was still crazy about her. Eriol even had to take back what he said in the past. "Wow Li! You really are in love!" he grinned. Tomoyo, who had already gone steady with Eriol, was greatly impressed.

"You have my approval, Syaoran. I must say Sakura's lucky to have someone like you to love her," she commended him. Syaoran's chest puffed hearing those words. "If only she'd see how much you love her," she smiled sadly. _If only she'd see how much I love her_. "Sakura…" He loved saying her name. Just as he thought that no name can be more beautiful, he also thought that no name can be more fitting. Nadeshiko couldn't be smarter in choosing a name for her daughter.

Then, for the first time since her funeral, Amamiya Nadeshiko came to Syaoran's mind. Whether he'd hate her or be thankful for what she mostly did, Syaoran was uncertain. It was in the beginning of their senior year when he first saw Nadeshiko. He was standing by the school entrance waiting for Sakura to pass by to get a glimpse of her. He knew when her classes ended, having obtained her schedule with the help of his new friend Tomoyo. It was then that he noticed a woman standing about four meters away from him, staring at him. She was tall and slender, silvery wavy locks cascading down her back. Her skin was milky white and her eyes… Syaoran stifled a gasp. They were a brilliant shade of green. Exactly like—

"Mom!"

Syaoran's head turned to the direction of the voice. He blushed instantly and his heart throbbed. Sakura was heading his way! Syaoran leaned onto the post behind him for support, afraid he might collapse in case the oxygen supply to his brain would be cut off. He grinned lopsidedly. The things that girl does to him. She was his ticket to cloud nine.

"Sakura," the woman kissed Sakura in the cheek and hugged her. Syaoran blinked in realization. The woman was Sakura's mother! And she caught him staring at her daughter. _Oh crap! I hope I made a good impression._ He bit his lip as he watched mother and daughter talk.

"I-I thought you won't be home until tomorrow night," he heard Sakura say.

"That _was_ the original plan. Unfortunately, Asako informed me that I need to attend a very important meeting tomorrow morning so I had to fly in early," her mother told her.

"Syao!" he heard someone call him. He turned and saw Eriol walking towards him, holding hands with Tomoyo.

"Hey Syaoran!" Tomoyo greeted him.

"Hey," he answered. He turned back and saw Sakura and her mother looking their way. Sakura looked nervous while her mother was squinting her eyes in obvious disdain.

"Let's go Sakura," her mother said, giving someone their direction a hard stare before her eyes softened when it landed on Syaoran, and left. Sakura threw an apologetic look to their direction before following her mother. _Wha-?!_ Syaoran's brain wondered.

"It's okay, sweetie," Eriol's voice reached his ears. Syaoran drew his attention back to his friends and saw an upset Tomoyo near to tears.

"It's unfair, Eriol!" she cried. "It's not like it was Mother's fault Unc—" she stopped herself and clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Huh?" Syaoran asked in confusion. "What was that all about?"

The couple looked at each other. "How 'bout we talk about this over coffee?" Eriol suggested. His companions agreed and they went to a nearby café. After ordering and sitting down, Tomoyo sighed and finally began. "Promise me, Syaoran, you won't tell anybody."

"I promise."

The girl sighed again and looked at her boyfriend, who gave her an encouraging smile. She smiled back and turned again to Syaoran. "You know Sakura, don't you?"

At the mention of the name, Syaoran turned red. "Yeah," he answered sheepishly.

Tomoyo chuckled. She was aware of his feelings for Sakura. "And I take it that Eriol has mentioned that we're cousins." Syaoran nodded.

"We're second cousins to be exact. My mom and her mom—yes, the woman we saw earlier—are first-degree cousins. Mom and Aunt Nadeshiko had an, um, 'okay' relationship. Civil would be the correct word." She drank some coffee. "Everything went smoothly. U-until my… father died." Syaoran's amber eyes widened realizing how personal the topic was. "U-uh… T-Tomoyo, you can stop if you want. I'm sorry… I didn't know—"

"No, it's okay," Tomoyo assured him, smiling weakly. "Don't worry 'bout it, Syaoran. It's my choice to tell you this in the first place. Otherwise, I would've declined the first time you asked." Syaoran, unsure of what to say, said nothing. Tomoyo continued.

"It happened five years ago. Dad was shot outside his office. The killer was an employee who got fired the previous week. He died on the spot. Mom was inconsolable. She loved Dad so much. The killer received fifty years. But it's not like it could bring him back to us." She inhaled deeply. A tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. Eriol wiped it and gave her hand a squeeze. She looked at him adoringly and mouthed an 'I love you'. She was so lucky to have him. "Then, Uncle Fujitaka…"

"Fujitaka?"

"Sakura's f-father," she informed him. "H-he came into the picture. He left Auntie Nadeshiko and filed for divorce."

Syaoran was confused. How was Tomoyo or her mother dragged into Kinomoto Nadeshiko's fury?

"H-he left Auntie… to be with Mother…" Tomoyo's pale hands were trembling. Guilt slowly loomed over Syaoran. Tomoyo need not go through this pain of digging up a painful past for his benefit. "Tomoyo, you can—"

The girl shook her head. "Please Syaoran. If you really love my cousin, allow me to tell you."

"I won't if you're only going to hurt yourself!"

Tomoyo smiled. "Sakura would be lucky to have you, Syaoran." Syaoran looked away in embarrassment.

"Uncle Fujitaka told Auntie he fell in love with another. Auntie was distraught. Her family was being torn apart." She shut her eyes tightly and opened them. "I can still remember how Auntie reacted when she found out that Uncle was pursuing Mom. Naturally, she was appalled. Her own cousin was the woman her husband was after?!" she forced a laughed. "She never talked to Mother or me ever since. Even for the family's sake."

Syaoran blinked. "S-so… Sakura's also your stepsister?"

To his surprise, Tomoyo chuckled. "No," she shook her head. "Mother never loved Uncle. She was fond of him though. In preference of course to Aunt Nadeshiko. But Mom never liked Uncle in a romantic way."

Syaoran nodded slowly as he grasped the 'interesting' story of the two cousins. "Uncle went after Mother for a year. Mom wouldn't budge." She paused and drank more coffee. "Mother started avoiding Uncle. Unfortunately, Uncle took it badly. He went into depression and…" She inhaled deeply.

Syaoran didn't want her to continue. "Tomoyo—"

"—he killed himself. It was a shock for us, my Mom and me. It was a blow, though, for Auntie. Even though it was an arranged marriage between her and Uncle, she adored him. He was a kind husband. He was a good provider to her and Sakura—"

"What happened to Sakura?" Syaoran suddenly asked, concern in his voice.

Eriol chuckled. Tomoyo smiled. "It was… very hard for Sakura… dealing with her Dad's death. She was a daddy's girl, you know. She adored Uncle so much. He was her hero. Her knight in shining armor. Her guardian angel. He was perfect in every way in her eyes."

Syaoran felt a tinge of envy towards the girl he loves. Unlike him, she had an almost perfect family growing up. Until the divorce ruined it. _Life isn't perfect my dear Syaoran_, his mother used to tell him quite often. _But it doesn't mean you can't be happy. Happiness does not depend on perfection. It depends on what makes you happy. And the things that make you happy depends on how you look at things._ The thought never fails to make him smile.

"And I thought Aunt Nadeshiko couldn't be any angrier," Tomoyo continued. "She blamed Mother for Uncle's death. Needless to say, she cut all ties with us. She even forbade Sakura to visit us or go out with me. It was unfair!" she cried. "Sakura of course didn't believe her when she told her Mom killed Uncle. She knew better."

"But you hang out with her in school," Syaoran pointed out.

Tomoyo nodded. "We do. But it's only in school that we hang out. And it's not even on a regular basis. We hang out when we see each other by chance. But when her bodyguards are around, which they usually are, there's no chance of us talking to each other."

Syaoran nodded in understanding. "She wasn't mad at your mother at all after her parents' separation?"

"She was a bit upset. You really can't blame her. The thought of her father leaving her to be with her Aunt would never occur to Sakura as it would to me. She wouldn't talk to Mother even. Until her dad died." Tomoyo laughed. "Isn't it ironic?! She wouldn't talk to Mom when Uncle was alive. And after he died, she warmed up to her all of a sudden!"

"And her mother?"

Tomoyo shook her head. "She's been as cold as ice ever since."

* * *

Syaoran entered a room in the mansion. Ever since he entered the room, he had been racking his brains out in trying to figure out the use of that specific room. It was a large room in the south wing of the mansion that was painted a dark shade of pink. In the center were four rose-colored leather sofas surrounding a glass coffee table. Framed pictures of the once happy Kinomoto family adorned the walls of the room. Hence, he called it the room of pictures. Syaoran walked towards the shelf on the left wall of the room.

He smiled as his eyes scanned the picture frames that were housed inside the shelf. Most of them were pictures of the then young heiress. She looked so young and bubbly. He fixed his gaze on a picture of Sakura smiling. Then, Syaoran thought. He hadn't seen her smile for a very long time. The last probably was when she was talking to Tomoyo, which was during their senior year. He missed her smile. Syaoran sighed. He had hoped a long time ago to be the one to make her smile. Yet now he would be the reason why she wouldn't smile. The contrarieties of life.

Amber eyes settled on the picture of the late mistress of the house. The fallen flower. He pitied Nadeshiko, a woman who only wanted to love and be loved in return and died before finding that man. Amamiya Nadeshiko was indeed a lovely woman. She was one who took good care of herself as she aged. People who didn't know her would be shocked when they find out her real age, forty five at the time of her death, as she appears to look a decade younger. Those who know her would be just as astonished to behold her. Whether it was because of the wonders of science or otherwise, Nadeshiko was beautiful.

But even though Syaoran would admit that, he knew it would be of no use. His heart belonged to her daughter. Yet the things one do for love.

The afternoon that he had first seen Nadeshiko was definitely not the last. It was the beginning. For every afternoon that followed, just as Syaoran was always in his usual post to watch for Sakura, Nadeshiko was also there. But whether she was there simply to fetch her daughter or she had another agendum, he didn't know. Until a month later.

Syaoran had been working as an intern for a construction company since the beginning of the second semester of his third year in college. And the company's latest project was the repair of a road in a nearby town named Tomoeda. The road repair was near finished and Syaoran was there to further supervise the completion. The great sun was high above the heavens that noon. And Syaoran found salvation from its scorching heat inside a local restaurant, which was just along the street being repaired. He was indulging himself in norimaki when he noticed someone standing in front of his table. He looked up to see a very familiar face and immediately turned red.

"Mrs. Kinomoto!" He stood up and greeted the woman. Nadeshiko smirked. "Uh… Good noon to you, Madam." He bowed.

"I'm surprised you know who I am," Nadeshiko said. Syaoran's amber eyes widened and he immediately bowed his head down in embarrassment. "I… Uh…"

"Aren't you going to ask me to sit down?" Syaoran felt his luck running out as he began to sputter. This was some sure way to win over the mother of the girl you adore. "O-oh right! Forgive me, Madam. Please… Have a seat."

When the two of them finally sat down, "You go to Nihon University, don't you?" she began inquiring.

"Y-yes, Madam."

"Yes… I've seen you a lot of times there. My daughter studies there, too." By the mention of Sakura, Syaoran blushed. This didn't go unnoticed by Nadeshiko's keen green eyes. "I am under the impression that you know each other? Am I correct?"

Syaoran looked up to meet her eyes, those eyes that make him think of Sakura. He shook his head. "No, Madam."

Nadeshiko was taken aback. "I see…" Then, she laughed. "This is so silly, don't you think? We're conversing yet we do not know each other!"

He smiled nervously, knowing what she said was only half-true. "—but it seems that you know me," she eyed him curiously. "Nevertheless, I'm Amamiya Nadeshiko."

"Li Syaoran, Madam," he introduced himself.

"Li? Isn't that Chinese?" Nadeshiko wondered. Syaoran rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"W-well… My parents were both Chinese. Broke up when I was two… And my mom took me here and raised me alone," he admitted. It wasn't like he was embarrassed of his past because he wasn't. But telling this to the mother of the girl you planned to pursue? Syaoran wasn't sure if this was a plus or a minus. Looking at Nadeshiko, he saw that she had a peculiar look on her face.

"I see… By the way, what brings you here to Tomoeda?" she queried.

"Oh! Yeah well… I'm working as an intern for the construction company that's doing the repair on the street."

Nadeshiko's eyes brightened. "Really? So that makes you a civil engineering student. Wow! I'm impressed! And you're about to graduate, am I right?"

He nodded.

"Congratulations! My daughter's about to graduate too!"

Syaoran smiled. _I know._

Silence came between the two. Then, out of the blue, Nadeshiko blurted out. "You like my daughter, don't you?"

He had no choice but to tell the truth. Otherwise, he might lose her trust, which, he thought, he was slowly gaining. "Y-yes… Yes, I do." She gritted her teeth and nodded. "I see…"

"I knew it… I knew it from the day I first saw you. You looked at my Sakura and swooned," she told him. Syaoran turned red. She had noticed! "I'd recognize that look anywhere. Like the way my sick husband looked at my traitor cousin." He gulped, knowing she was talking about Tomoyo's mother, and said nothing. "How much do you like my daughter?" she hissed. Syaoran was beginning to get really anxious. Suddenly, he felt the talk made a nasty turn.

"I love her, Madam. And I'm willing to do anything for her," he confessed courageously. Nadeshiko's eyes darkened. _Just like what Fujitaka told me when he left me_, she thought. "Anything?" she squinted her eyes. Syaoran's breathing hitched. He was starting to get scared of Amamiya Nadeshiko. He knew by the tone of her voice that what she was thinking was anything but pretty.

"Anything," he whispered. Nadeshiko sneered. "Then marry me," she said.

This shocked Syaoran to the hilt. "M-ma-marry you?!"

The sneer didn't leave the woman's beautiful visage. "Yes. I know this is a shock to you, Mister Li. But if you really care about my Sakura the way you say you do, you'll marry me."

"B-but w-why?! W-why should I marry you?!" he breathed.

Nadeshiko's hand crept to Syaoran's. "I'm surprised you didn't notice, _Syaoran_. But I like you," she told him. Syaoran withdrew his hand from hers.

"With all due respect, Madam—"

"Nadeshiko… Call me Nadeshiko, Syaoran," she insisted, reaching for his hand once more. He pulled away.

"No, _Madam_. Forgive me. But don't you think that's a pretty rash decision? Marriage is for persons who are in love—"

"Then give me the chance to love you!"

Syaoran was speechless. His mind tried desperately to grasp and comprehend what was happening. This woman happens to be the mother of the girl he loved. And this same woman wants to _marry_ him?!

"Even if you fall in love with me," the thought disgusted Syaoran. "Marriage would be worthless if it's one-sided, Madam," he told her.

Nadeshiko's jaw tensed. "Are you saying you cannot love me, Syaoran?"

He looked at her ruefully. "I'm sorry, Miss Amamiya. But I love no one but your daughter."

She was still with shock. Then, she cackled. "And do you think I'll give my daughter to you, Li Syaoran?"

Syaoran looked away. This was a very risky situation. Choices needed to be made. And none of what it would yield would be advantageous to him.

"Because I won't. And what made you think she'd love you back?" she mocked him.

That got him and Syaoran abruptly stood up. "Thank you for the time, Miss Amamiya. As much as I'd hate to leave," _Though I'd hate much more to stay _"My break is over and I need to go to work now. Excuse me." He walked past her but stopped when he heard her say.

"If you won't give in to what I want, Li," She inhaled sharply. "I'd cut Sakura off of her rightful inheritance."

Li Syaoran's eyebrows knitted as he faced her once again. "Y-you'd what? B-but you can't do that!"

Nadeshiko stood and turned to him. "I _can_, Syaoran. Unfortunately, my dear Fujitaka, Sakura's father, left _me_ all of his properties. And I will take hold of the Kinomoto Corporation until the time my Sakura graduates."

"Exactly! When Sakura graduates, _she_ will be given her father's inheritance."

The woman shook her head. "You don't understand, my dear." Syaoran shuddered at the last two words. "_I _own the company because it was _my_ name that was in the will. It was _my _discretion to give Sakura her birthright when she's ready to take over. However… since you won't concede…"

"What kind of mother are you, Miss Amamiya? You'd endanger your own daughter's future because of your own selfish wants?!"

"It's not anymore my concern, _Syaoran_. Right now, Sakura's future is in your hands."

It was the point of no return for Syaoran when he finally gave in to Amamiya Nadeshiko.

"I-I'll… I'll do what you want." His now fiancée forced a smile.

"Good. And for starters, call me Nadeshiko." Syaoran stared at her face before he nodded indifferently… and walked out the door.

**To Be Continued**

A.N.: I feel kinda bad for making Nadeshiko evil :( And for making Fujitaka leave his wife for Sonomi :( But that's the beauty of fan fiction! Review! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its characters.

**Rune-Sorceresses:** Wow! You blew me away! That was some review! Since I can't private message you... Well, I guess I can say that Nadeshiko's just a woman who wanted to love and be loved in return. As for the letter, that's coming in later chapters. _Much _later chapters. Lolz. As for the lawyer, I doubt he'd be making any more appearances so it's safe (on my part) to say that he knows nothing. Yes, it's a bit sped up. The past was sped up--mainly because the past was only to explain why the characters are what they are and how they ended up in the situation they're in. And yes, I did speed it up a bit coz I know how it feels to read a story that goes _really_ slow. And I certainly don't like it. Lolz. Lastly, I don't know why I'm explaining myself and I know I don't really need to. But it's just sad that I'm a person who, um, I don't know, feels she really needs to explain everything. That's just the way my twisted mind goes. So there!

**A.N.: **And now, on with the story!

* * *

'_You said that you would die for me…  
__You must live for me too…'_

**Chapter Three**

It was already twelve thirty early in the morning. And for no reason, the slumbering wolf was jolted awake. He moaned and tried to go back to sleep but to no avail. After twenty minutes, Syaoran finally stood up and decided to go for warm milk. As he descended the marble staircase, the front door opened and in came the woman he had longed for to see. Immediately, his heartbeat quickened. Sakura let out a gasp when their eyes met and her hand flew to her chest.

"Li!" she breathed as she gritted her teeth.

Syaoran gave her a weak smile. "Sorry to startle you. Um…"

"What?!" she hissed, green eyes flashing.

Syaoran first hesitated before answering. "Did you just arrive?"

Sakura snorted. "I think the answer's obvious." Then, she coughed.

Syaoran's brows raised in worry. "A-are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she immediately snapped. Unfortunately, her body system didn't seem to agree and she coughed some more. This worried Syaoran and he walked towards Sakura.

"Saku—"

In an instant, Sakura held her arm in front of her to prevent Syaoran from nearing her. "Stay right where you are and don't come near me," she panted. "I thought everything that we talked about is crystal clear, _Li_. You mind your _own_ business and I'll stay out of your way."

"But Sa—"

"_Li_," she warned him. Syaoran sighed. "Miss Kinomoto, I don't think your okay."

"Well I was until _you_ came," she retorted. Sakura brushed past Syaoran and ascended the staircase.

"Have you eaten yet?" Syaoran asked her.

Sakura looked down at him, an irritated look present on her face. "I think I can take care of myself quite well," was her answer before turning back and going up to her room. Syaoran watched her as she ascended before finally disappearing into her room. A smile slowly made its way to Syaoran's lips, his eyes glued to her bedroom door for half a minute. At long last, he saw her again. _And best of all, I was able to talk to her_. He chuckled to himself before finally going to the kitchen for the glass of milk.

* * *

The gentle early morning sun crept through the windows of Li Syaoran's chamber and kissed the sleeping man awake. Syaoran squinted his amber eyes before rolling to the other side of the bed and closed them again. Realizing it was indeed morning, Syaoran rubbed his eyes open and yawned. Then, he smiled at a memory. He had seen Sakura last night. He had seen her and heard her voice. _That'll keep me in a good mood for days._ He stood up and stretched his body. After he got dressed, he went out of his room, just in time to see Daidouji Tomoyo coming up the staircase.

"Tomoyo?"

The raven-haired girl turned and smile when she saw him. "Good morning, Syaoran!"

He returned the smile and greeted her back. "What brings you here? Not that it's bad that you're here, though."

Tomoyo laughed lightly. "Yes, well. I wanted to see Sakura in her office to inform her of, uh, you know…" she blushed.

Syaoran laughed. He knew what she meant. Eriol had called him the previous afternoon to tell him he was proposing to Tomoyo. Later that night, an ecstatic Eriol called him again and by the tone of his friend's voice, Syaoran had already known what the girl's answer was.

"Of course! Congratulations, by the way," he grinned. Tomoyo bit her lip. "Thanks Syaoran."

"I thought you were going to see Sakura in her office? Then how come you're here?" Syaoran wondered.

Tomoyo was slightly taken aback. "You don't know?"

Syaoran creased his eyebrows. "Know what?"

"Sakura called in sick today," she informed him. Syaoran gaped. "S-she's sick?"

Tomoyo nodded. "Yes—Ooh! There's the doctor!" Both heads turned as a red-haired woman came out of Sakura's bedroom and made her way towards the staircase, where the two conversing friends were.

"Good morning, Dr. Mizuki," Tomoyo bowed. Syaoran did the same.

"Good morning to you too, Miss Daidouji… Mister…" Dr. Mizuki Kaho looked at Syaoran uncertainly. "Li," Tomoyo answered for him. In an instant, the physician's mouth formed an 'o'. She then smiled and bowed to Syaoran. "Mister Li."

"Is Sakura alright?" Tomoyo inquired. Syaoran looked at the doctor impatiently. Like any other man who cares deeply for the one he loves, he wanted to know was Sakura okay. Mizuki smiled and nodded.

"Miss Kinomoto is fine. She was just burned out from too much work—"

"She'll be fine, won't she?" Syaoran worried. This surprised the doctor, who merely chuckled and nodded. "Yes, Mister Li. Miss Kinomoto will be up in no time. All she needs is a little rest and lots of nutritious foods."

The little wolf sighed in relief. Mizuki smiled before bidding them goodbye. "If you'll excuse me Miss Daidouji, Mister Li."

"Of course! Thank you very much, Dr. Mizuki," Tomoyo bowed. After the physician had left, "I'll go see Sakura," Tomoyo said to Syaoran. The latter nodded. The girl was about to go to her cousin's room when Syaoran called out to her. "Tomoyo?"

"Yes, Syaoran?"

The lad looked down shyly and rubbed his nape. "W-would it be, uh… a-appropriate if I… make a soup for Sakura?"

Tomoyo giggled. "I think it'd be most appropriate, Syaoran."

Syaoran beamed and began to run down the stairs.

"Oh! And Syaoran?" His ladylove's cousin called out to him.

"Yeah?"

"Chicken soup's her favorite," she winked before turning on her heels and went to the cherry blossom's bedroom.

* * *

"There. We're done," the cook Fusato clapped. Syaoran had asked the cook's help in making Sakura's soup, thereby missing the amused yet sly smiles on the faces of the servants who had 'overheard' what the master of the house was doing for the sick mistress. Syaoran sniffed the pleasant aroma the soup emitted and was satisfied with what they did.

"Thank you, Fusato," he grinned.

The cook bowed. "It's a pleasure to be of service to you, Master Li. And I'd do anything for Miss Sakura."

The young man gave the chef one last smile before setting off for Sakura's room.

"Steady… Steady…" Syaoran kept on repeating the words to himself. He was on his way upstairs with a tray on his hands that contained the bowl of hot chicken soup and a glass of green tea. A tray whose contents were threatening to spill from the constant shaking of the carrier's hands. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Syaoran's face. _Oh man_. He was nervous. Very nervous. Taking one deep breath, he knocked the door to Sakura's room.

"Come in!" came Tomoyo's strong voice. Syaoran stared at the knob in wonder. Was Sakura _that_ sick that Tomoyo needed to answer for her? Nevertheless, he turned the knob, took the tray and entered, to find the cousins looking daggers at the other.

"Uh?" Syaoran said hesitantly.

Instantly, green eyes glared at the man. "What are you doing here?" she spat. But before Syaoran could answer, he had to suck in his breath. Sakura looked pale, her eyes were sunken and she appeared tired. Yet she looked beautiful. Ghostly beautiful.

"I-I came to bring you food," he smiled.

"I'm not hungry."

"No! You _will_ eat what Syaoran brought for you, whether you like it or not!" Tomoyo yelled. Syaoran gulped nervously, suddenly becoming scared for Eriol. He had never seen this side of Tomoyo before. But looking at Sakura, she was not a bit frightened. She was in fact just as angry.

"And who made you the boss of me?!"

Tomoyo squinted her eyes at Sakura. "Sakura, you will do as I say and eat the food Syaoran brought!"

"I said I am not hungry," Sakura told her furiously.

"Well, you _are_!" Tomoyo then turned to Syaoran. "Syaoran, you will stay here and make sure Sakura finishes _every single_ drop of it. Understand?" she bellowed before walking to the door.

"I am not eating what _he_ brought!" Sakura shouted. Syaoran bowed his head while Tomoyo turned to face her once again.

"Deal with it, Sakura! Because you know what? You're gonna have to live with Syaoran and _only _Syaoran taking care of you from now on. Because to tell you something, Eriol's father wanted him back in England by next week. And… I-I'm coming with him…" she broke off, beginning to sob.

This came as a shock to Sakura. "Y-you're leaving? You're leaving me?"

"I-I need to go, Sakura. Eriol's family wants to meet me before we get married. And they can't just come here since they have important matters to attend to in England. I… I'm sorry Sakura," she explained before finally leaving.

Awkward silence made its way between the two.

"I… I made you some soup," Syaoran began. Sakura stared at him icily. "I said I'm not hungry."

"But the doctor said—"

"Are you the doctor, Li?" she hissed.

"No, but—"

"What did we talk about last night?" Her voice was low and hostile.

Like he had ever since, Syaoran surrendered. Placing the tray on the study table near the door, he turned to her and smiled weakly. "I'll just leave it here in case you get hungry." And with that he left.

When she was all alone, Sakura began to tremble, until she finally broke down. For five long, painful years, she had to endure so many things someone her age doesn't deserve to experience. The divorce of her parents. The death of her father. Her estrangement from her mother. The remarriage of her mother to someone almost her age. And finally, the death of her mother.

As a child, Sakura had the world on her feet. Being the only child of a wealthy family, she was the apple of her parents' eyes, particularly that of her father's, to whom she was closer. Sakura grew up tagging along with Fujitaka on business conferences and conventions, with Nadeshiko, who had hoped for her daughter to become a model like her, reluctantly in tow. Greatly influenced by her father, she aspired to be like him. Most of all, she wanted the man she'd marry to be like him. But it was when she was but sixteen, that the picture she had of Kinomoto Fujitaka crumbled. She could still remember the she was informed by her parents of the situation.

Akashi told her that her parents wanted to talk to her in his father's office. She entered and immediately sensed the solemn aura that surrounded the room. Her parents sat together in one sofa. Fujitaka clasped his hands on his lap while Nadeshiko looked serious with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Mother? Father?"

Fujitaka looked up and smiled at his only child. "Sit down, my angel."

"Just like what you used to call me," Nadeshiko muttered.

Sakura looked at her parents confusingly. What was her mother talking about? She sat on the sofa across them. Fujitaka cleared his throat.

"Sakura, sweetheart, I know this will be hard for you. But this will be for the best. For your mother and I," her father told her.

Nadeshiko snorted. "More like for you alone." Fujitaka gave her a look, which she simply ignored, and continued. "Sakura, I just want you to know that whatever happens, I love you very much."

"Daddy, are you dying?" Sakura cried. Fujitaka forced a smile. "No, darling. I-It's…"

"Your father's leaving us," Nadeshiko said bitterly. Sakura's jaw dropped and looked at her father incredulously.

"Nadeshiko!"

"What?! It's just the same! You're gonna tell her you're leaving us. Might as well go straight to the point," her mother snapped.

Sakura's lip began to quiver. "Y-you're… leaving us?"

"Honey, it's not that I'm leaving… Y-your mother and I decided it'd be best if we go our separate ways," he explained. His wife stared at him in disbelief. Then, she snorted. "If I remember it clearly, Fujitaka, which I do, it was only _you_ who wanted a divorce."

"Nadeshiko—"

"Stop it!" Sakura yelled. Then, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

"Sakura—"

She looked up at her father. "I hate you!" she hissed. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" Then, she ran out of the room.

The divorce was inevitable. Her custody was shared by both her parents and money was provided for her by her father. Still, it didn't bring back the life that was once in her. The divorce devoured her being. And now, she felt like an entire different person, so fragile and scared. Her relationship with her father was destroyed. And her relationship with her mother was not any better itself. On weekdays, she would be staying with her father in Tokyo. On weekends, she'd travel to Tomoeda, where her mother was. But no matter where she'd stay, it was still the same. And she would cry herself to sleep every night.

Life then took an even nastier turn when she discovered the real reason her father divorced her mother: to be with her Aunt Sonomi. From then on, she became spiteful of her relative, even of her cousin Tomoyo. She wouldn't talk to them or even spare them a glance. Of course this wouldn't match the hatred of her mother towards Sonomi, but it was just as cold. Then, she confronted her father about his relationship with her aunt.

"You left Mother for Aunt Sonomi?!"

"Sakura, I love her," he told her.

"And what about Mother? She's your wife, for crying out loud!"

"Honey, things happen for the best."

"Whose best, Daddy? Yours?" she cried.

"It's better than going behind your mother's back—"

"And mine!"

Fujitaka sighed. "I'm proposing to Sonomi. I want to marry her."

Sakura exhaled sharply. "Well, good luck! And don't even think about inviting me to your wedding because I won't come even if my life depended on it!" And with that she stormed out of the room.

She eventually found out that Sonomi turned him down, much to her relief. Fujitaka tried to call her but she rejected his calls. Though her aunt wouldn't be her stepmother now, she still hasn't forgiven her father for what he did. Until her mother broke her the news: Fujitaka committed suicide. It was more than what Sakura could take. She didn't come out of her room, even for her father's wake. She only came out in time for his burial. It was then that Sonomi came up to her.

"Sakura… I know it's been hard on you—"

Sakura raised her hand to stop Sonomi from going on. "You don't have to explain anything, Aunt Sonomi." And left.

Nadeshiko eventually found out that Sakura talked to her aunt and went ballistic. "You _talked_ to her?! Sakura, did I hear that right? You _talked_ to the woman your _father_ left me for?!"

The younger woman knitted her eyebrows, irritated. "Mom, I just told her she didn't have anything to explain. Nothing more."

"But you still talked to her!"

Abruptly, Sakura stood. "Whether I talk to her or not, nothing will ever change, Mom. Daddy's gone."

"That's not the point, Sakura!"

"Then what is?!"

"That you talked to the woman your father was in love with! The woman your father was willing to sacrifice his family for!"

As much as Sakura hated to admit it, her mother was right. Fujitaka was ready to sacrifice his family, even his own daughter's heart, to be with Daidouji Sonomi.

"But she didn't love Daddy! She rejected him and that alone I'm thankful for," Sakura told her mother.

"And that's why your father killed himself, Sakura. Because of that woman," Nadeshiko cried.

"This isn't getting us anywhere, Mom," Sakura said as she shook her head and turned to the door.

"Sakura! We're not yet finished!" Nadeshiko called to her. But all she got was the slamming of the door.

Her relationship with her mother was inevitably strained and Sakura found out that Nadeshiko left the following morning. To Zurich, the note she left said, for an important meeting with one of the company's Swiss collaborates. It was then that Sakura realized that she had forgotten that her mother was the new director of the Kinomoto Corporation, as stated in her late father's will. Hence, she would be seeing less of her mother from that moment on.

Her intuition proved her right as the next time she saw her mother was when she was already a college senior—three years after their last tiff. Much to her astonishment, Nadeshiko came to pick her up every single afternoon since she came home. But whether it was because she wanted to make up for the time they lost or for some other reasons, Sakura didn't know. Slowly, Sakura felt herself starting to warm up towards her mother and decided to forget whatever resentment she had towards Nadeshiko. She was her mother, after all. And she was all she had after her father died. Gradually, her life was beginning to redeem itself—until Nadeshiko made a shocking announcement.

Snow was falling from the sky as winter came to the upper northern hemisphere of the globe early in December. Mother and daughter were silently enjoying their dinner of spaghetti and meatball when Nadeshiko disturbed the serenity of the atmosphere.

"How's school?"

Sakura emptied her water glass and placed it back on the coaster, a servant immediately refilling it, before answering her mother. "Fine. The professor started giving us our graduation requirements due at the end of February."

"Uh-huh," her mother smiled. And once again, calm engulfed the room. It did not last long, however.

"I'm getting married," Nadeshiko blurted out.

_CLANG!_

Emerald met shaken emerald.

"I-I'm sorry. T-the fork slipped my hand," Sakura apologized as the servant handed her a new fork and she muttered a small 'thank you'. She cleared her throat and looked at her mother. "W-what was that again… Mother?"

Nadeshiko smiled at her and twirled her pasta. "I'm getting married."

The younger female opened her mouth to say something but all that came out was "Oh…" She hesitated for a while before asking. "To whom?"

Without a bat of an eyelash, the matriarch responded. "I don't know if you know him but he goes to Nihon."

Sakura looked at her questioningly. "H-he does?"

"Uh-huh."

The Cherry Blossom pondered for a while. "He isn't one of my professors, is he?"

Nadeshiko chuckled and shook her head. Sakura felt a bit relieved but nevertheless, the feeling of uneasiness stayed. "The university physician?"

"He is neither a faculty nor a staff, my dear."

"Then who's he?"

Her mother smiled. "Li Syaoran."

_Li who? _"Li Syo—?"

"Syaoran, sweetie. Li Syaoran. He's an amazing guy I met a week ago—"

"You just met him a week ago and you're getting married?!" Sakura shrieked. This was getting off-hand.

"We're not getting married soon, honey."

"But still, engaged?! For Pete's sake, Mother! That's as close as being husband-and-wife!"

"Honey, I love him. He's the best thing that happened to me since you were born," Nadeshiko reasoned.

"Love?" Sakura scoffed. "I doubt you could _love_ someone you just met over a week, _Mother_!"

"Sakura—"

"What does he do for a living?"

"Well, he's gonna be a civil engineer after he graduates this summer."

Sakura's eyes widened. _After he graduates?!_ "Mom, did you just say he's only about to graduate?"

"As a matter of fact, I just did," Nadeshiko confirmed rather proudly.

"He's just a student?!" Sakura yelled in disbelief, standing up.

Her mother looked at her and answered softly "Yes, he's a student."

That was the last straw for Sakura. She threw her napkin on the table and stormed out of the dining room. Upon reaching her room, she grabbed the thing nearest her reach—in this case, an angel figurine—and threw it to the wall, screaming in pure anger. And at that very moment did Sakura resign to the fact that she will never be close to Amamiya Nadeshiko.

**To Be Continued**

A.N.: Updated! I hope you're thrilled (relieved?) that I did. The rest of Sakura's story will be on the next chapter. Got lazy continuing. Sorry :) Hope you like this chap! And if you do, please do **REVIEW**!-Dream of Autumn


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its characters.

**A.N.: **Almost year-long hibernation from this story. **Sorry**. I was stuck halfway Chapter four when my laptop got infected and the next thing I knew, all program files and documents had been deleted. That was **very** depressing. I kind of somehow lost interest in writing since then. I repeat, writing. Not the writing the story, but writing itself. But I knew I had to continue. So I present to you Chapter Four…

* * *

'_I'm not the only one for you  
__But you're the only one for me…'_

**Chapter Four**

It had been two weeks since Sakura's mother broke to her the news about her upcoming nuptials. It had also been the same number of weeks that she had last spoken to her mother—which had not been as difficult since Amamiya Nadeshiko didn't even talk to her, mainly because Sakura had been avoiding her mother with every chance she got.

Two days of classes were left before winter break and the homework kept on pouring. Sakura and Tomoyo were at the coffee shop; Tomoyo was passing time drawing gowns while Sakura was supposed to be writing an essay for her English literature class. However, the green-eyed girl was staring blankly at the paper before her. A paper that was as blank as the expression she had on her face. Her hand that clasped a pen was still beside the paper. Across Sakura, the violet-eyed girl stared at her cousin worriedly.

"Sakura," Tomoyo called her attention, waving a hand in front of her cousin's face. "Is something wrong?"

In an instant, Sakura broke from the trance and whipped her head to Tomoyo's direction. "Wha—"

The dark-haired girl gave her a shrug and smiled. "You were spacing out."

Green eyes blinked. "Oh…" She sighed and went back to a daze.

Tomoyo blinked. With a sigh of her own, she put the paper and pencil away and held the other girl's hands. Sakura's eyes met Tomoyo's. "Sakura, what's on your mind?"

Sakura shook her head. "It's nothing. Just… things." Pulling away from Tomoyo's grasp, she began to write.

The other girl bit her lip. Once again, she realized, it was one of those days Sakura was being stubborn. "Sakura, I know you enough to know that something _is_ bothering you. You know I'm always here to listen."

"Tomoyo, honest, it's nothing," Sakura insisted, annoyed, not bothering to look at her cousin.

"Sakura—"

"Tomoyo, will you just lay off my case and stop acting like my mother!" Sakura snapped.

Violet eyes widened and Tomoyo's jaw dropped.

Pin-drop silence clouded the pair. A number of heads whizzed to their direction.

Instantly, Sakura regretted what she just said. "I-I'm sorry, Tom… I-It's just… I had a lot of things going on in my mind."

Tomoyo stared at her with disbelief and went back to her drawing. "Would you mind telling me what's going on _Kinomoto Sakura_," the said girl winced, "because I'd _love_ to know the reason _why _you compared me to your _mother_."

The green-eyed girl clenched her jaw. _Fine._ "Do you, by any chance, know a guy named Li Shogun?"

A head of black snapped up towards Sakura. "Li… _Shogun_?" Tomoyo squeaked, perplexity shrouding her porcelain visage.

"College senior in Nihon U… Taking up engineering…" Sakura filled in.

Tomoyo's brows knitted. "Li Shogun? Well, the only Li I know who goes to Nihon, is a college senior, and is taking up engineering is Li _Syaoran._"

"Shogun, Syaoran…" Sakura muttered indifferently. She obviously didn't care what the guy's first name was. "So you know him?"

"Syaoran? Y-yeah. He's Eriol's best friend and classmate," Tomoyo told her, growing more and more confused by the second. "Wait a sec… h-how is Syaoran dragged into this?" _Does she even know Syaoran in the first place? Wait. The only time she knows someone she doesn't know personally is when she has a crush on him. _Tomoyo's heart skipped a beat. _Does she—_

"He's getting married to your _favorite_ aunt," Sakura interrupted her thoughts.

_CRACK!_

Sakura looked up to see an aghast Daidouji Tomoyo, eyes resembling clear amethyst wide with shock, a broken pencil in her hand.

"W-who's… getting married?" she squeaked.

"The engineering guy and the most _wonderful_ mother in the entire universe," the other girl answered with pure contempt through her teeth.

"Aunt Nadeshiko?"

The auburn-crested girl rolled her eyes and raised a brow. "Who else?"

Tomoyo stared at her agape. "B-but… why? How? D-do they even know each other?"

"_Obviously_, Tomoyo," Sakura forced the words out of her mouth.

"B-but that's impossible!" Tomoyo ranted. "How could he be engaged to her—how could he propose to her w-when he's in love with—" she instantly clamped her mouth upon realization that she had said too much. In a snap, green eyes darkened.

"What did you say?" Sakura hissed.

Tomoyo turned pale and gulped. This was not good. "Nothing. Look why don't we just—"

"I heard what you said Tomoyo," Sakura said darkly.

Tomoyo shook her head violently. "I-I didn't say anything."

"He's a freaking gold-digger, isn't he?" Sakura muttered accusingly.

Violet eyes widened. "NO! Sakura, forget what I—"

"Then why the hell is the bastard marrying _my_ mother when he's _in love_ with another woman?!" Sakura practically yelled.

"Sakura, calm down. Everybody's staring at us," Tomoyo said, aware of the pairs of eyes that turned their way.

Sakura acknowledged what Tomoyo just said and turned to glare at those who stared at them. She then turned to her cousin, green eyes fiery with rage. "You better tell that friend of yours to stay out of my way. Because if he doesn't and if he _won't_, I swear on my father's grave, I'm going to bury him alive."

With that, she stuffed her belongings inside her bag.

"W-where are you going?" Tomoyo asked.

"To talk some sense into Nadeshiko," Sakura said, darted out of the café.

* * *

"I assume everything is set for Saturday, Asako?" Nadeshiko spoke through the phone, twiddling with a pen in her hand, as the door to her office opened. An angry Sakura entered.

"Yes, fax that for me, please," Nadeshiko ordered her secretary, while eyeing her seething daughter who stood rigid by the door, both hands rolled into fists, impatiently waiting for her to finish the phone call.

"Uh-huh… Thank you, Asako." And with that, she hung up. Nadeshiko shifted in her seat and looked at Sakura. "You came to see me, sweetheart?"

Sakura fought a flinch upon hearing what her mother called her. With the enormous feeling of abhorrence she was feeling, now was not a good time for introductions. Might as well get to the point. "Are you still marrying him?"

Raising both brows, Nadeshiko shrugged casually. "I don't see why not?" she chuckled.

"What if I give you a reason not to?" Sakura challenged her.

Nadeshiko appeared surprised. "And what would that be?"

"Well," Sakura began. "He could be a gold-digger."

At her words, Nadeshiko laughed. "Syaoran is _not_ a gold-digger!"

"How would _you_ know?" Sakura fumed, not liking the fact that her own mother reacted the way she did.

Her mother smirked. "I just… know."

Sakura's blood boiled. "Well…" _You asked for it._ "What if I tell you your _darling fiancé_ is in love with someone else?"

In a second or two, Nadeshiko's pale face hardened and her hands tightened their grip on the armrest. "Who told you that?"

Sakura blinked. Then, she began to panic. She hadn't expected her mother to ask her this question and there was no way she was going to let it out that it was _Tomoyo_ who let that slip. "Someone utterly reliable."

Green eyes narrowed. "Well, then… Would you mind telling me who this _utterly reliable_ someone is so that I may judge his or _her _reliability?"

Sakura caught the emphasis. She knew her mother had a suspicion of who her source was – a very correct suspicion. "I think I _know_ this someone well enough to know if he or she is credible," Sakura defended.

Two pairs of green eyes glared at the other hard.

"Well, in that case," Nadeshiko countered, her own fists clenched. "I think _I_ know my fiancé well enough to know that what you are saying is not true."

"You've known the guy for a week and you tell me you know him enough?!" Sakura scoffed. "Oh _please_, Mother!"

"That is enough—"

"You know that what I say is true, I know you do. That man you are marrying is a gold-digger!"

"Enough!" Nadeshiko stood up.

Sakura felt herself submit to her mother's authority.

"Not a word," Nadeshiko hissed. She inhaled and exhaled, attempting to calm herself a bit. "I will not allow you to speak ill of my fiancé, especially in my presence. Do you understand me, Kinomoto Sakura?"

The younger female gritted her teeth. "Perfectly, _Mother_."

Nadeshiko smirked. "Good. I _expect_ you to be in your best behavior when Syaoran comes to dinner on the twenty-fourth."

Sakura froze. When the words registered themselves in her mind, she fought hard not to begin another word joust with her mother. Gritting her teeth harder, she thought '_Oh joy!'_

* * *

School was out for winter break. And to Sakura's apprehension, there was nothing much to do. Her professors were generous enough to spare them homework, much to Sakura's dismay. Thus, she spent the days of her vacation hoping and wishing that December 24 would cease to exist, just this once. She could not even find herself the humor to think of the irony that December 24 was one of the days she most looked forward to when she was a child. What with all the presents she would receive? Now, she thought, what she would receive would not be a gift but rather a curse.

Frustratingly, December 24 arrived without delay. Not that there _could_ be one. But in Sakura's mind, there _should_ be.

Sakura sat by the window of her room, watching uninterestingly as the snow fell from the sky, flitting down to the ground as spots of gray against the dark starless night. To her right, she could hear the sharp ticking of the clock. She turned and read that it was already 6:45 in the evening. Only five minutes had passed since she last read the time. She let out a breath; the sound that escaped from her lips seemed like a cross between a sigh and a hiss. Even five whole minutes was painstakingly slow. And all she wanted now was for the night to end.

A knock came on her door. She hesitated for a while, hoping the person outside would go away. Unfortunately, the knocking persisted. She mentally groaned.

"Come in."

The knob twisted and the door opened a bit, allowing a head of graying hair to poke through.

"Miss Sakura, Mistress Nadeshiko wants your presence in the foyer," Akashi informed her.

She raised her brows. "Is he here already?" Irritation was clear in her tone.

Akashi shook her head. "Your mother had the driver fetch the… uh… _him_." He can't seem to find the right word. Sakura frowned. Just when she was about to ask why Nadeshiko wanted her to be where she wanted her to be, Akashi spoke to answer her unsaid query. "From what it appears, the Mistress expects you to be there to… welcome him."

Sakura's eyes flashed at what Akashi told her and she rubbed her temples. "I see."

Akashi, not knowing how to respond, merely nodded. He turned to leave when Sakura stopped him.

Exhaling forcibly, "Akashi, wait" she called him.

"Yes, Miss Sakura?"

Sakura bit her lip uneasily. "Can I have a word with you about… something?"

The elderly butler thought for a second before nodding. "Of course."

She gave him a slight nod, an unspoken permission for entry. Akashi stepped into the room and closed the door.

"Between you and me, what do you think about Nadeshiko's engagement?" she asked in a voice that was whispery yet contained.

The question caught him off-guard and his black eyes widened. "Um… well… I think…" he stuttered.

"Go on," she encouraged him. "I promise that the things that will be said will remain in the confines of this room."

Akashi seemed to hesitate for a while. Then, he sighed. "I think that this engagement is a breath of fresh air."

His answer caught _Sakura_ off-guard. "_What_ did you say?"

Once again, he began to stutter. "W-well… I-It's not that I… approve of the man your mother is marrying, Miss Sakura… B-but I can't help but think that m-maybe he could make the Mistress happy."

"Notwithstanding the fact that he might be some guy who could be after my mother's money?" Green eyes narrowed.

Akashi swallowed. "I-I haven't taken _that_ into consideration," he confessed.

"I see." Sakura sighed. "You may now leave."

The servant bowed and turned.

"Akashi," she called for him again.

"Yes, Miss Sakura?"

Sakura deliberated for a moment. "Can I… ask you a favor?"

He gave her a weak smile. "Of course."

"Well… I guess now you're aware that I don't trust this guy at all."

Akashi's smile widened a bit. "We'll keep a good eye on him just in case he does something or acts suspicious," he finished for her.

For the first time in weeks, Sakura's face broke into a smile. "Thank you."

He grinned. "It's nice to see you smiling again, Miss Sakura."

"Yeah," she agreed. "It feels nice to smile, too. Too bad it won't last long."

Akashi smiled understandingly.

"You know when you think about it, maybe my mother and her so-called fiancé really are meant for each other," Sakura pondered.

The butler raised a graying brow in sudden bewilderment. "And why is that?"

Sakura scowled. "Well, for one they're both headaches."

Akashi chuckled.

* * *

Syaoran fidgeted in his seat as the limousine cruised along the streets of Tokyo. At long last, he was formally meeting the girl who owned his heart. Kinomoto Sakura. Then, he began to wonder how she was taking the news of _her mother_ marrying _him_. He hadn't seen or spoken to Tomoyo for almost three weeks, no thanks to his crazy schedule, hence he had no idea if Sakura knew already about the 'shotgun engagement'. Then again, if he knew her mother enough from what she had shown to him, Nadeshiko would have already broken the news to Sakura.

The limousine slowed down, making Syaoran look forward. The gates to the Kinomoto estate opened and the car drifted along the shoveled pathway until it came to a halt. He was about to open the door when someone from the outside opened it for him. Reluctantly, he stepped out. Anxious tawny eyes took in what they saw and Syaoran couldn't help but murmur a "Wow." The mansion was everything he expected – vast, grandiose, and opulent. He couldn't help but feel insignificant.

The, the front door opened, revealing a pleased Amamiya Nadeshiko. Syaoran stopped himself from glaring.

"Glad you could make it," she smirked.

"Yeah well, you did say I _should_ come," he muttered wryly.

Nadeshiko chose to ignore the tone of his response and smiled a bit sadistically. "I did, didn't I? I planned to introduce you to your future stepdaughter." Syaoran recoiled inwardly. Even though he _was_ getting married to Sakura's mother, he would never acknowledge Sakura as his stepdaughter. It was so… wrong and so… awkward.

"—and what better occasion than Christmas Eve?" she laughed, slipping her arm through his. In his mind, Syaoran shuddered. Then again, he didn't have any choice.

"Sakura was supposed to be here to welcome you," he saw her frown. "—but I guess she's a bit busy as of the moment."

His heart fell. He had been counting on this night to meet her at last.

"—she'll be joining us for dinner, certainly," Syaoran heard Nadeshiko say.

Hope filled him once more. Then, nervousness came.

"S-so… she knows?" he asked, despite himself.

"About our engagement or about you coming here?" she asked casually. Then, without waiting for his answer, she laughed tersely. "She knows about both."

Syaoran's heart raced and he clenched his jaw.

"Of course," Nadeshiko continued. "She doesn't need to know things she isn't supposed to know," she finished vaguely. He understood what she meant.

She led him through the mansion until they came to a bright, yellow room which Syaoran found out to be the dining room. Different dishes of food had already been laid out and the silverware already set.

"Come," Nadeshiko beckoned him. "Food is more satiating when warm."

As if on cue, a servant pulled a chair for him. Warily, he sat, with Nadeshiko to his left at the end of the table.

And then, the door opened. Instantly, Syaoran sucked in his breath as Sakura walked in.

* * *

A knock came on Sakura's door and Akashi moved to open it, revealing a petite maid. "The… uh… guest has arrived," she announced timidly.

Sakura groaned.

"Thank you, Miki. I'll be at the foyer in a minute," she said.

Miki shook her head. "They're already in the dining room, Miss."

Sakura sighed. "Thank you, Miki," she repeated.

The maid bowed and left.

"If you permit it, Miss Sakura, I'll be taking my leave now," the butler asked.

"Of course, Akashi," Sakura allowed.

He bowed, turned for the door, and left.

With a defeated sigh, Sakura mumbled "Here goes nothing" and followed Akashi's leave. She descended the staircase and made her way to the dining room. Hesitantly, she stood by the white door of the dining room, a hand on the knob. With one deep inhalation, she twisted it and entered. She blinked.

A young man, just around her age, with hair of dark brown, sat next to her mother and stared at her with golden brown eyes.

Sakura's blood began to boil. _Li._

"Sakura," Nadeshiko called her.

The head of auburn hair turned to the speaker and Sakura promptly made her way towards the chair to her mother's left, where she settled. She crossed her legs underneath the table and placed her hands comfortably on the armrest.

"Well," Nadeshiko clapped her hands. "Now that we're all here, let's start with the introductions."

She turned to Syaoran. "Syaoran, this is my daughter, Sakura," she turned to her daughter. "Sakura, this is Li Syaoran."

Much to Sakura's surprise, the man who sat across her gave her a sincere, excited grin. Grudgingly, she had to admit… he was kind of cute.

"I'm glad to have finally been able to meet you… Sakura."

Sakura flinched inwardly when he called her by her first name. Then, she smiled curtly. "I wish I could say the same for you," she muttered.

Unfortunately for her, Syaoran wasn't able to catch what she said… but her mother did. Before Syaoran could ask what she had said, Nadeshiko made a sound, as if clearing her throat, and shot Sakura a warning glance. The younger female rolled her eyes unconcernedly.

"Shall we eat?" Nadeshiko suggested in haste.

* * *

Sakura wrapped her arms around herself as she stood by the snowy veranda. Throughout the duration of dinner, she held her silence, knowing it was the _best behavior _she could put up around Syaoran. Otherwise, she would start another fight with her mother. She finished her dinner swiftly and did not linger for dessert, much to Syaoran's disappointment and Nadeshiko's pleasure. After taking her coat from her room, she went outside, despite the bitter temperature, to cool her head down and, for the meantime, distract herself from the disturbing presence of an unwelcome guest in her house.

* * *

"You're still hoping for a chance with my daughter, aren't you?"

It was not a question, Syaoran discerned. He turned to meet eyes of green that were very much like the ones of the girl he loved.

"Hoping, yes… Expecting, definitely not," he admitted. He was not a very vocal person. But Syaoran was definitely perceptive. Judging from the girl's body language, he was far, far from being her most favorite person on the planet.

"Of course not," Nadeshiko smirked, agreeing. Then, the expression on her face changed. Syaoran read the despair and longing.

"Syaoran," his name escaped her lips, her voice tinged with (Syaoran mentally shuddered) passion Syaoran would rather hear from the lips of her honey brown-haired daughter. "What can I do to make you love me?" Slowly, her pale hands reached for his.

(AN: Gag! Puke! O.O)

Ocher eyes widened in horror. "Miss Amamiya!"

Emerald eyes flashed. "I thought I told you to call me Nadeshiko," she gritted her teeth.

Syaoran gulped.

Luckily for him, a knock came on the door. Nadeshiko hissed in fury.

"Come in," she said apprehensively.

Akashi entered, bringing with him the cordless phone.

"Pardon me, Mistress," he apologized. "But Asako says she must speak to you immediately. An emergency, she purports."

With a loud sigh, Nadeshiko stood. "Excuse me for a moment, Syaoran," she grumbled and took the phone, leaving the room.

Akashi eyed him cautiously for a few seconds before bowing and leaving the room.

Completely alone now, Syaoran stood and walked towards the window. It was then that he caught sight of a figure standing by the porch. His heart sprinted.

_Sakura._

Immediately, he retreated from the window and went out of the room. Running down the hallway, he stopped upon finding the passage that led to the outside of the house. He walked to the half-opened glass door at the end of the hall and his heart began to beat faster as he grinned. Out in the veranda stood Kinomoto Sakura, her back to the house, her hair ruffled lightly by the cold wind.

Unable to stop himself, Syaoran stepped out into the winter and called her attention.

* * *

"Hi!"

Sakura's ears twitched at the entry of the voice and her head turned to the direction of the voice. At once, both of her hands balled into fists.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped. There was no way she could control her temper at that moment.

Syaoran seemed a bit surprised by the tone of her voice. "I… I saw you standing here from the window… I-I thought you could… use some company."

Sakura pondered over his words for a few seconds with a scowl. Then she snorted and turned away.

Syaoran bit his lip. _This is awkward,_ he thought. He sighed. "I… know this is difficult for you… But I hope… we can be… friends… or something like that." _Hopefully, something more. _His voice turned whispery at the last four words.

Just when he thought she would completely ignore him, she surprised him by facing him, her beautiful face completely livid.

"_Friends_?!" she hissed. "Why would you _think_ I would want to be friends with _you_?!" And she turned away.

Syaoran was taken aback. _Reality check: She absolutely hates you,_ he conceded to himself. "I-I'm sorry—"

"Don't—!" she swirled around to face him again, raising an index finger to silence him.

He gulped. Sakura's chin quivered. Whether it was due to the frosty temperature or from anger (or both), Syaoran didn't know.

"I don't know what you're trying to do or what you're after," Sakura retorted, trembling. "But remember this: hurt my mother and you'll regret ever stepping into our lives! Am I making myself clear, Li Sharon?!"

Without waiting for his response, Sakura brushed past him and stepped inside the mansion.

Syaoran stood still on the spot he was standing, his feet somehow lost its ability to function for a moment and felt numb. Sad, pained amber eyes stared dejectedly at the spot where Sakura stood before stomping off.

Then, Syaoran sighed before whispering, despite knowing she wouldn't hear, knowing no one would hear him except for the bitter wind.

"I-It's Syaoran."

**To Be Continued**

**A.N.: **Again, I deeply, sincerely apologize for not updating for a **very** long time :'( I hope the chapter made up for it (looks hopeful). But if you can't forgive me… well… (sniffles)…


	5. Note

Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or any of its characters.

October 11, 2011

Dear Readers,

First of all, this is NOT A CHAPTER.

I know you wouldn't like to read this. I myself usually get pissed off when I check my e-mail and see an update, only to find out it's only the author's note but please hear me out.

I want to extend my sincerest apology for not being able to update for such a loooooong time! I know no excuse can make it up to you. But if you're still with me and my stories, I want to ask your help.

I want to ask your opinion on which story should I update first. I know it's such a trivial thing to ask but I really need help.

Midnight to Eternity?

When Love Becomes a Wrong?

Or should I write first a prequel to Nothing to Lose?

The story that gets most votes in a week gets to be updated first.

Just PM me your answer and I'll try my best to be do it within a month.

Believe me, I've been trying to update for about 2 weeks now but I'm missing inspiration and imagination. I figured that a little bit of moral support might do the trick.

I'm really, really sorry and I do hope to get an answer.

Remorsefully yours,

Dream of Autumn


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